Band 7.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 7.0 · Barron's Writing · 2026-08-18

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

You recently bought a jacket, but when you got home, you discovered it was
damaged. When you took it back to the store, you were told that merchandise
cannot be returned.

Write a letter to the store manager. In your letter:
• describe the problem with the jacket.
• explain what happened when you tried to return it.
• say what you would like the manager to do.

You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Begin your letter as follows:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Student answer (Band 7.0)

Dear Sir or Madam,

My name is Ankush and I recently purchased a jacket from your store. I am writing this letter to express my concern about the problems I encountered while trying to get refund for the jacket.

The jacket I purchased, was made up of fine quality black leather with cap attached to it. On the day of purchase, I just checked the size and bought it. However, when I reached home, I observed that the zipper of jacket was not functioning properly. Apart from this, there is a black stain on the cap attached to the jacket.

The following day, I went to the store to return the jacket since I was disappointed with my purchase. When I explained the situation to the store employee then he mentioned that all the sold items cannot be returned.

I would really appreciate if you could look into this matter and either offer me some exchange options in case refund cannot be provided or at least the jacket could be fixed with necessary modifications.

I hope you will consider my concern. I will be looking forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

Ankush

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 7.5

The letter successfully addresses all three bullet points required by the task. You clearly described the defects (zipper and stain), explained the interaction with the store employee, and proposed a reasonable resolution. The tone is appropriate for a formal letter of complaint. To reach a higher band, you could provide more specific details, such as the date of purchase or the receipt number, to make the complaint more professional and realistic. Overall, the purpose of the letter is clear and the requirements are fully met.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 7.0

The letter is logically organized with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing. Each paragraph focuses on a specific aspect of the task. You use some cohesive devices such as 'However', 'Apart from this', and 'The following day', which help the flow of ideas. However, the transition between the description of the jacket and the store visit could be smoother. The paragraphing is appropriate, and the overall structure is easy to follow, meeting the requirements for a coherent response.

Lexical Resource — Band 6.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task. Phrases like 'purchased a jacket', 'express my concern', and 'functioning properly' are used correctly. There are some minor issues with word choice, such as 'get refund' (should be 'get a refund') and 'exchange options' (which is acceptable but could be more precise). The vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, though it lacks the more sophisticated or idiomatic collocations that would characterize a higher band score.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 6.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. There are some grammatical errors, such as the unnecessary comma in 'The jacket I purchased, was made up of' and the missing article in 'zipper of jacket' (should be 'the zipper of the jacket'). Additionally, 'all the sold items cannot be returned' is slightly awkward; 'all sales are final' or 'items cannot be returned once sold' would be more natural. Despite these errors, the meaning is never obscured, and the grammar is generally functional.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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